For some reason, it came to mind of a game show in the 70s which was a 'you are the detective' premise.

Through the show, they showed a dramatized murder mystery. At the end, the contestants, from the suspects presented in the mystery, would have to guess which one did it.

The mystery of this one episode (I think it was a one-shot) was about the murder of this singer, played by Erik Estrada, who, as he came on stage to sing, was electrocuted when he grabbed the mike stand.

Anybody remember this?

Do you have any one-shots or shot lived TV shows that annoy you, because you remember the damn things?

There was a weird era in TV, early 70s I think, where somebody decided it was a good idea to take every B-list pop act and give them a "variety" show. I have painful memories of watching Sonny & Cher obviously reading bad "jokes" off cue cards, of the "gee Sonny you're short" type. Groups you probably don't even remember got their own shows briefly, like Donny & Marie Osmond, and Tony Orlando & Dawn.

As for electrocution: there's a movie I loved that I'm not sure anybody else has ever seen called Phantom of the Paradise. It's a rock version of the Phantom of the Opera story. Meatloaf gets electrocuted on stage in that film. There was something very satisfying about that.

There was a weird era in TV, early 70s I think, where somebody decided it was a good idea to take every B-list pop act and give them a "variety" show. I have painful memories of watching Sonny & Cher obviously reading bad "jokes" off cue cards, of the "gee Sonny you're short" type. Groups you probably don't even remember got their own shows briefly, like Donny & Marie Osmond, and Tony Orlando & Dawn.

As for electrocution: there's a movie I loved that I'm not sure anybody else has ever seen called Phantom of the Paradise. It's a rock version of the Phantom of the Opera story. Meatloaf gets electrocuted on stage in that film. There was something very satisfying about that.

Yeah...I almost posted the Mac Davis Show. I remeber that it was on either before or after Planet of the Apes show. Also Captain and Tenille,the country singer woman with two sisters-one acted like a ditz,the other had big tits...dam...brain fart with that one...DAMMIT! One of them was named Louise! Help me out,people! AH! And YES! I have seen PHANTOM of the PARADISE! With little twit Paul Williams and it was directed by none other than Brian DePalma!!!

...the country singer woman with two sisters-one acted like a ditz,the other had big tits...dam...brain fart with that one...DAMMIT! One of them was named Louise! Help me out,people! AH!

That would be Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters; interesting that it was aired in 1980, quite a few years after the variety show had begun to fade.

I actually enjoyed the variety shows. Sonny and Cher didn't exactly invent it as it existed well before them (remember Dean Martin anybody), but they did help to revamp it and some of those who followed them took cues from them; Cher always made jokes about and insulted Sonny, Telma Hopkins did the same to Tony Orlando.

I was also a big fan of the Hudson Brothers...on TV...the three of them could be a bit much to take at one time in the movies.

A while back I inflicted the "Paul Lynde Halloween Special" on my wife. She wasn't too appreciative of that. I mean, the Halloween skits were OK, but most of the segments had nothing to do with Halloween.

As for electrocution: there's a movie I loved that I'm not sure anybody else has ever seen called Phantom of the Paradise. It's a rock version of the Phantom of the Opera story. Meatloaf gets electrocuted on stage in that film. There was something very satisfying about that.

I DO NOT LIKE "Phantom of the Paradise." It drove me nuts that the main character, the goofy songwriter who becomes the phantom, keeps letting Paul Williams screw him over. Seeing Paul Williams almost naked was also completely unnecessary.

As for electrocution: there's a movie I loved that I'm not sure anybody else has ever seen called Phantom of the Paradise. It's a rock version of the Phantom of the Opera story. Meatloaf gets electrocuted on stage in that film. There was something very satisfying about that.

I'm pretty sure it was Gerrit Graham who got electrocuted. Mind you, the character's name was Beef, so I can see how Meatloaf might come to mind.

As for electrocution: there's a movie I loved that I'm not sure anybody else has ever seen called Phantom of the Paradise. It's a rock version of the Phantom of the Opera story. Meatloaf gets electrocuted on stage in that film. There was something very satisfying about that.

I'm pretty sure it was Gerrit Graham who got electrocuted. Mind you, the character's name was Beef, so I can see how Meatloaf might come to mind.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8gDt_WlLJ0I like that movie. It's just so goofy, and it does a nice job of satirizing the recording industry. I used to have the soundtrack on cassette tape many, many years ago.

I've still got it in the basement on LP somewhere.

You're right about "Beef", though. The similarity in names makes me suspect (now) he was supposed to be a Meatloaf parody. In my defense I was going by memory. I haven't seen that movie since I saw it as a teenager on HBO shortly after it came out. 1974, apparently. It might not stand the test of time, but like I say I thought it was pretty cool back then.

Ozzymandias speaks: I think what Menaaard is thinking of was a short lived prime time game show called "Who Done It?" hosted by Ed McMahon. There was a murder play with a guest star as the victim, followed by the characters being interogated by real lawyers and detectives. Then the contestants had to decide who the killer was.

The episode in question Eric Estrada was a rock singer who was electrocuted by someone in the band. The one thing I remember vividly was F. Lee Bailey was one of the expert panel. He asked an actor playing a guitarist in the band where he was when Estrada was killed. The guy said "out having a smoke." Bailey asked "A smoke of what?" The actor was so bad he didn't get it and said. "You know a smoke." Bailley again said "A smoke of what?" The audience is laughing (they may having been smoking the stuff Bailley was elluding to). The actor couldn't even come up with a good ad lib.

BTW, I head some where that the Mandrell Sister no longer are speaking to each other. I never liked them, especially Barbara.

Also, on the Smothers Brother DVD, Tom gives an audio intro and appologizes ahead of time. He points out that at times the show drags because of the format of the variety shows of that time.

I have been trying in vain to find a YouTube video of a particular Incredible Hulk episode from the late 70s. Saw the end of it on one of the classic TV channels a year or two ago, and it was really goofy. As I recall, this female rocker is performing on stage with two giant (and utterly fake) Tesla coils. She's stoned or something, and starts walking toward them, when suddenly Banner Hulks out and comes running onto the stage. He gets right in the middle, where he's struck repeately by arcs of post-production electricity, while the audience applauds wildly, thinking it's all part of the show. Laughed my ass off. I just wish I could find a clip of it.